What Tyus Battle’s return means for the Syarcuse Orange

The Syracuse Orange had been waiting for some positive news this off season, and they finally got some in the most impactful way possible: the return of Tyus Battle. The Orange’s leading scorer from last year first declared for the draft, but decided to return for his junior year, giving Syracuse one of the most talented teams heading into next year.

The Orange were already returning the bulk of their impact players, but now that Battle is back in the picture, the Orange have a legitimate chance at making a deep run in the postseason next year.

Not as much pressure for Oshae Brissett

If Battle had stayed in the NBA Draft, rising sophomore Oshae Brissett would’ve had to carry the bulk of the offensive production. Brissett showed he has what he takes to score the ball with his versatile skillset, but it may have been too much to ask him to score 20-plus every night.

Now that Battle and Brissett have another year to play together, the two perimeter players have what it takes to become one of the nation’s most dynamic scoring duos. Both players can play off of each other, so Brissett should be more than excited that he has Battle lining up next to him next year.

Look who’s back. Photo by: Steven Branscombe-USA Today Sports

The Orange add even more experience

Syracuse shocked the nation last year by making its way into the Sweet 16; the Orange had an extremely young roster in which they relied upon quality minutes from freshmen. Now that those youngsters have intense postseason experience, the Orange can be confident when they get in a close game late.

Having Battle, their best player from last year, join this year’s roster will only give coach Jim Boeheim even more confidence in his team in postseason play.

The Orange may have a player of the year candidate on their roster

Battle averaged 19.8 points a game last year which was good for third in the ACC. His ability to score from the perimeter and beat his man off the dribble made him nearly impossible to defend.

Now that Battle’s teammates have some postseason experience, the rising junior will have a much easier time finding easy buckets—the lane will open up for him, and the national attention will arrive as well. He’ll need to improve his outside shot, but Battle has a chance to make this a memorable year for the Syracuse faithful and himself.

About Andrew Godnick

I am currently a sophomore at Syracuse University, majoring in Sport Management. A sports junkie who has been a Nets fan since the days of the IZOD Center, a Jets fan since birth, and a Syracuse fan since admission to the school.